The Peripheral and Central Nervous System
The brain and spinal cord are part of the central nervous system, whereas the peripheral nervous system contains all nerves that branch out from the brain and spinal cord and travel to other regions of the body, such as muscles and organs. Each component of the system plays a critical function in the transmission of information throughout the body. The PNS is responsible for connecting the CNS to the organs, limbs, and skin. These nerves run all the way from the brain to the extremities of the body. The somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system are the two elements of the peripheral nervous system.
The Somatic Nervous System: The somatic system is a component of the peripheral nervous system that transports sensory and motor information to and from the brain. This system is responsible for voluntary movement and transmitting sensory information. It contains two main types of neurons:
-Motor Neurons: Motor neurons, also known as efferent neurons, convey information from the brain and spinal cord to muscle fibers all throughout the body. These motor neurons enable us to respond physically to stimuli in the environment.
-Sensory neurons: Sensory neurons, also known as afferent neurons, transport information from the nerves to the central nervous system. These sensory neurons are responsible for receiving sensory information and transmitting it to the brain and spinal cord.
The Autonomic Nervous System: The autonomic system is a branch of the peripheral nervous system that regulates involuntary physiological activities such as blood flow, heartbeat, digestion, and breathing. It is further subdivided into two main systems called:
-The Parasympathetic Nervous System: The parasympathetic nervous system aids in the maintenance of normal physiological processes and the conservation of physical resources. This mechanism slows the heart rate, slows breathing, reduces blood supply to muscles, and constricts the pupils once a threat has gone. This permits us to return to a natural resting condition for our body.
-Sympathetic system: The sympathetic system stimulates the body to expend energy in reaction to environmental triggers by regulating the flight-or-fight response. In the presence of certain stimuli, the sympathetic system responds by speeding up the heart rate, breathing faster, increasing blood supply to muscles, triggering perspiration secretion, and dilating the pupils.
Works Cited:
“The Importance of the Sacral Vertebrae.” Verywell Health, 17 Jan. 2020, www.verywellhealth.com/sacral-vertebrae-anatomy-function-and-treatment-4769390.
“What You Should Know About the Peripheral Nervous System.” Verywell Mind, 4 June 2020, www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-peripheral-nervous-system-2795465.
That is it for today's blog, thank you all so much for having the passion and willingness to learn the basics of the anatomy of the spinal cord and nervous system, as understanding these basics can help you comprehend neuroscience easier. As always, please reach out if there are any questions, and let me know in what ways I can improve my blogs to bring the most fun in neuroscience.
Comments